Turning Locations into Experiences: The Wow Factor of AR and CGI Advertising
CGI and AR are more than just visuals—they’re your brand’s secret to immersive storytelling. Stand out from the crowd and transform familiar, real-life locations into a digital adventure. Discover how these technologies make campaigns truly unforgettable.
CGI (Computer-generated imagery) Advertising
If you have been paying attention to marketing trends, you have surely noticed the trend around CGI advertising, also known as FOOH (Fake-Out-Of-Home) that has been going on in the last year. And there’s no surprise in its popularity, as the technology continued to successfully shock the viewers with incredible animations, making us question reality and asking ourselves more times than we’re proud to admit–is this real?
Each video, easily accessible through simple scrolling of news feeds or stories on any social media app, captivated users worldwide with lifelike animations, often going viral. A key factor in this success was the use of familiar spaces, which made the experience feel more personal and engaging.
Thanks to combining the location with the memorable CGI effects, viewers felt a deeper connection to the product, leading to a surge in interest that directly boosted sales.
CGI Campaign For Lego’s Children’s Day
Celebrating Children’s Day with Lego, we thought it was the best opportunity to take advantage of CGI’s world-transforming abilities, turning the regular cityscape into a colorful, imaginative playground. By bringing real-life murals to life, we aimed to capture the limitless creativity that children see in the world around them, perfectly reflecting the campaign slogan: The play is in your hands.
Through the lens of a child’s imagination, where anything is possible, we reimagined everyday spaces with bold colours and toys coming alive, inviting everyone to see the world through their eyes—a place where creativity knows no boundaries and every corner holds the potential for adventure.
Don’t Stop There–Reach For Augmented Reality
As much as we loved the FOOH advertising trend, it’s not the only way to make heads turn. By utilising AR, your audience can also interact with the campaign in the real world, connecting the physical and digital realms in a way that invites active participation.
This connection brings a whole new dimension to advertising, making it more than just something to watch—it’s something to experience.
While there are countless ways to integrate AR into a campaign, there’s one standout feature that blends both AR and CGI. The location. While focusing on a specific area may seem limiting at first, it’s a chance to spark the interest of the locals, excited to try out a digital experience created just for them.
That’s also where UGC (User-generated content) comes in, with people sharing their own videos on social media and spreading the word about the campaign without feeling like a paid advertisement. This can potentially increase the virality aspect, especially with every piece of content being a bit different. Unlike traditional formats, where everyone views the same content in a static way, AR introduces a dynamic, personalized element to the campaign.
Though all users might be viewing the same CGI-driven video, AR creates an individualized experience for each person. It’s not just a passive interaction but an opportunity for users to play with the content, explore it, and view it through their own unique angle, sparking deeper engagement and lasting connections.
Interactive Valentine’s Day AR Mural for Netflix
Our partnership with Netflix combined offline marketing with digital features, creating a personalized Valentine’s Day campaign that users could actively participate in and enjoy.
Building on a real-life mural, we invited users to scan a QR code and design their own Valentine’s Day card, adding their names and selecting their favorite love-themed quote from a beloved TV show. They could then effortlessly send the card to their significant other via Instagram or share it on their story, organically expanding the campaign’s reach.
The experience felt more like a fun, engaging activity than an advertisement—offering passers-by in the heart of the city a memorable and personalized moment.
Philips Refurb in Berlin
Ever wondered what 10 million wasted gifts look like in real life? Thanks to Augmented Reality, we made it easy to visualize.
In collaboration with Philips, we transformed one of Berlin’s busiest spaces into a striking digital landfill, symbolizing the staggering consequences of our Christmas-time spending habits.
By placing this waste in a familiar, real-world environment, we used the shock factor to invite viewers to reflect on their own consumer behaviors and the importance of making mindful purchasing decisions.
The campaign’s innovative use of AR to convey such a powerful message not only captured attention but also earned recognition at the prestigious Cannes Lions Festival, where it was awarded the Grand Prix for its creative impact and social relevance.
Read more about the project here.
CGI or Augmented Reality—which one should you choose?
While CGI and Augmented Reality have distinct strengths, both create the “WOW” effect that captivates audiences and transforms real-world spaces into immersive experiences. CGI, especially in FOOH advertising, excels at crafting visually stunning scenes that quickly grab attention, making it ideal for boosting brand awareness.
AR, on the other hand, drives engagement by inviting users to participate, interact, and personalize their experience. While CGI relies on high-performance pre-rendering for realistic visuals, AR’s real-time rendering, accessible even on smartphones, prioritizes interactivity and creates memorable, one-on-one brand connections.
In today’s competitive landscape, CGI and AR are powerful tools that redefine how brands engage with their audiences. Whether through CGI’s stunning visuals or AR’s interactive features, each approach offers a unique way to captivate, inspire, and leave a lasting impression. By transforming familiar spaces into digital experiences, brands can build deeper connections with audiences, turning moments into memories that resonate long after the campaign ends.
